The Priesthood Ban-

Before a core doctrine can be changed, it must first BE a core doctrine. I refer to the above criteria listed in part 1 of this E.G.O.-

Core:the central, innermost, or most essential part of anything

Doctrine:a collection of particular principles, positions, or beliefs taught or advocated

Thus, in LDS terms, core doctrines are principles, positions, or beliefs that are central, innermost, or essential to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Now, historically speaking, it is rather obvious that while many of God’s reveled commandments are unchangeable, God can and does command certain things at various points in history but not in others. For example, God commanded Noah to build an ark, but not all subsequent prophets were commanded to. (God also promised not to destroy all flesh ever again with a flood) Abraham was commanded to sacrifice his son Isaac, Jonah was commanded to preach in Nineveh, Moses to part the Red Sea.

It is possible for God to command certain things at one point, and something else at another, without violating or changing His “core doctrines”? Well, scripture tells us that if God were to violate His own laws, it would make Him a liar and He would cease to be God and everything He has created would end with Him. Since we still exist, God then still exists, which means it is possible.

Has God ever commanded something that humans cannot comprehend as being “good” or “right”? YES. But our ability (or inability) to comprehend or approve of God’s actions is not a determining factor in their inherent rightness or goodness. No matter how difficult what He asks us to do might be, those things are always going to be right and good (in the purest definition of the word) because He is right and good.

So, now that we’ve established that God can (and does) command different things at different times and that doing so does not violate His divine truths or the “core doctrines” of the gospel of Jesus Christ, let’s consider the issue of the Priesthood Ban. At various times through out history, God has withheld the Priesthood from various cultures and races of people, and there is no established doctrine stating that He cannot do such a thing. In fact, quite the opposite seems to be true, and regarding the revelation given in 1978, E. Dale LeBaron, Professor of Church History and Doctrine at BYU noted “As far as we know, this [is] the first time since Cain and Abel that all the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ were made available to all people of all races living upon this earth. And it was the first time that temple ordinances could be performed for all people back to the beginning of time…From the beginning, the Lord has sent the gospel to people according to his priorities, and the priesthood has been given selectively. During the fourteen centuries from Moses to Christ, only the house of Israel had the gospel.”

While several prophets and apostles speculated about WHEN the blessings would be extended to all worthy males, and many disagreed about the reasons behind why God instituted it, ALL of them agreed that it was a commandment from God and that it would require a revelation from God to end it. The LDS Church never took the position that God had declared that members of the Black race would never receive the priesthood or were doomed for eternity to go without it, nor was this position or belief ever taught or advocated at all, let alone as an essential and central part of the gospel of Jesus Christ -which means it doesn’t qualify as a “core doctrine” in the first place.